Great Western Marketplace Vendor Open House

RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) - Prospective merchants for Reno's first weekend, indoor, year-round market are now touring the Great Western Marketplace, in the building that used to house a Super K-Mart in north west Reno.

"It's taken us a long time to get to this point," says, Trudy Naumann, one of the project’s principals. "We're looking for people who have an existing business, or perhaps a brand new business. It's a great opportunity to get started. "

She says the costs of renting a vendor studio would be less than working out of a traditional strip mall seven days a week.

Utilities, internet, advertising, and security are all included in the rent. The spaces are going for about 8 dollars per square foot.

Another selling point, she says: location. "We've got almost 15,000 parking spaces. We're right off the freeway; we have a billboard that is ours that is right on the freeway. "

"We didn't hesitate,” says Leanna Crocco, owner of Recipe to Health and an early tenant at Great Western. “I knew I wanted to do it immediately. I've been waiting for a year for it to start... Being in there first, I wanted to nail my spot before everybody saw the beauty that I saw.

Crocco says the destination and community aspect piqued her interest in leasing a unit.

"[It’s]kind of like a trade show, but only three days a week,” she says. “ But being able to leave it and not having to cart it back and forth.”

There will be about 500 units available to lease for six months. About a quarter have been already been leased. Each merchant will be able to customize their space ahead of the opening in late July.

"We think we've found the perfect spot, are we going to fill it? Yea, we are. We're going to fill it," says Naumann.

The Great Western Market place open house will take place again Saturday from 10am to 6pm.